ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · cell · wave · swing · net · scale · rush · patient

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rush — hurry
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. net — after costs
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. swing — in golf
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tube — a container
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. scale — size or range
  19. swing — music
  20. scale — in music
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cell — in biology
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com